Improvement in banjos



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waited ,States @anni @hijita GEORGE C. DOBSON AND WILLTAM MCDONNELL, OFBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, AS SIGNORS TO G. O. DOBSON.

Lette'rsPatent No. 90,350, dated May 25, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT 1N BANJos.

The Schedule referredito in these y.'lZustters Patent and making part ofthe same.

To all whom it may concern l Be it known that we, GEORGE C. DoBsoN andWIL- LIAM MCDONNELL, both of Boston, in the county of Suffolk, and Stateof Massachusetts, haveinvented certain Improvements in Banjos, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, inwhich- Figure 1 is a plan of that portion of a banjo to which the headis attached.

Figure 2 is aplan of the under side of the same.

Figure 3 is a section on the line :t x of Iig. 2.

Figure 4, detail .t-be referred to.

This invention consists in an improved `method of securing andstretching the head of a banjo upon the outer rim, or hoop, whereby thetone of the instrument is softened, and rendered more harmonious thanheretofore. i

vTo enable othersskilled in the art to understand and use our invention,we will proceed to describe the manner in which we have carried it out.

In the said drawings- A represents the outer hoop, or rim of a bahjo, atthe top of the interior of which is a stationary rim, or flesh-hoop, b,which forms a shoulder, 5, against which rests the wire ring, orskin-hoop, d, t0 which the head B is attached.

Thisv head B is confined securely in place, and stretched, as required,by means of a wooden banjohoop, C, the-exterior diameter of which is alittle less than that of the interior of the flesh-hoop b, so as toallow it to come into contact with the head B, against which it isforced bya series of screws, e, which pass through blocks, or bracketsf, and bear against small metallic blocks, or plates g, let into theunder side of the hoop C, for the purpose of preventing it from being,marred or injured by the points of the screws, which fit into recesses6 in the blocks', as seen in fig. 3.

It will be seen, that by means of the construction and arrangement ofparts above described, no metal is allowed to come' into contact withthe head B, above the skin-hoop d, and consequently the tone of theinstrument is softened and rendered more harmonious than Where the headis confined in place by means of a metallic hoop, placed over the wirering, or skinhoop, as heretofore, while the hoop C, which is forcedagainst the head B, being composed of wood, there is no liability of theskin being cut or injured, when a great strain is put upon it.

Each of the blocks, or brackets f, which support the screws e, is of theform shown in fig. 4, the portion h being slightly wedge-shaped, andhaving its edges bevelled, so as to lit into a correspondingly-shapedgroove, k, in a socket-plate, t', which is secured to the interior ofthehoop A, by screws l, which pass through the apertures m,'and when thepoints of the screws c are in contact with the blocks g, the downwardpressure exerted upon the blocks f serves to wedge them tightly in placewithin the socket-platest' but when the screws c are turned, sc as towithdraw their points a short from the blocks, and the removal of thehead B is thus greatly facilitated.

In the above-described banjo, the flesh-hoop l b, and skin-hoop d, areboth stationary,.the head being tightened by forcing the woodenbanjo-hoop C up against it, while in the ordinary banjo the skin-hoop ismovable,.and is drawn down to tighten the head by a movable metallichoop, operated by screws.

' This latter method is, however, objectionable, as the edge of themetallic hoop is liable to cut, or injure the head, where a great strainis pnt upon it, while the contact of the metal with the head above theskinhoop, is liable to injure the tone of the instrument, and produce ametallic sound.

O laims.

screws e, in combination with the socket-plates i, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

GEO. O. DOBSON. WM. AMODON N ELL.

lVitnesses:

P. E. TESCHEMAGHER, W. J. CAMBRIDGE.

